1. psurani's Avatar
    I absolutely agree to the point that most of the specs are not consumed to its fullest as they are never required. But things like camera, big screen are something which matters.
    For me, I am amost content with Key2 minus the camera!

    Posted via CB10
    11-05-18 09:53 AM
  2. bb10adopter111's Avatar
    The BlackBerry VKB experience is pretty damned good, though it takes a few weeks or months to master it. I prefer BlackBerry phones for the focus on PIM/MS Exchange functionality, but I switch between a Z10, Passport and the KEYone fairly often. For quick text production for short messages or first drafts of longer pieces of writing, I am faster on the VKB, but I prefer the PKB for editing and accuracy. On the KEYone I find myself using BOTH the PKB and VKB for different tasks.

    From a branding/marketing perspective, BlackBerry is associated first and foremost with the PKB, but, as an everyday power user, I have a more nuanced view.

    If I wanted the S8 feature set (I don't) I would consider using the BlackBerry VKB and Hub + Suite on it without hesitation. (Though, for my purposes, the Motion is still the only Android slab with any appeal.)

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    11-05-18 10:02 AM
  3. chrispmoto's Avatar
    My thoughts:

    I really envoyed the BlackBerry Torch 2, the Z30, the Passport SE, and the PRIV. I had bad experiences with the DTEK60, which has driven me away from BlackBerry.

    I now have a Samsung Galaxy S9+, which is a great fast device with a great camera. I have installed the BlackBerry HUB and virtual keyboard.

    I still miss the accuracy of the PKB of BlackBerry devices, and even the virtual keyboard on the Z30 was fantastic.

    It depends what you want. A PKB with BlackBerry predictive text is fantastic, and the Key2 seems to have a solid build with decent camera.

    The Samsung S9+ however has superior specs. If you want a Samsung Note, I would suggest the Note 9 since it has a far superior BlueTooth enabled stylus you can use as a remote for the camera.

    Better still, I would wait a few months to see what comes out in 2019. It is rumored that the Samsung S10 release in February 2019 may have 5G connectivity. The Note 10 likely will appear in September 2019.

    Just my thoughts!
    How well does the Hub and Keyboard work on your phone? I am thinking of getting a phone with better camera and am curious how well these Apps work on a non BlackBerry device.
    11-05-18 10:20 AM
  4. bb10adopter111's Avatar
    How well does the Hub and Keyboard work on your phone? I am thinking of getting a phone with better camera and am curious how well these Apps work on a non BlackBerry device.
    I'm 99% sure they will work exactly the same. They are fully compliant Android apps.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    11-05-18 10:23 AM
  5. crackhead007's Avatar
    I'm 99% sure they will work exactly the same. They are fully compliant Android apps.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    Hub requires a monthly license to get rid of ads on a non BB phone. Otherwise it is the same.
    11-05-18 10:27 AM
  6. bb10adopter111's Avatar
    Hub requires a monthly license to get rid of ads on a non BB phone. Otherwise it is the same.
    Yes. $0.99 per month. Well worth it for the suite, IMO.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    11-05-18 10:30 AM
  7. tonycanuck's Avatar
    How well does the Hub and Keyboard work on your phone? I am thinking of getting a phone with better camera and am curious how well these Apps work on a non BlackBerry device.
    The HUB works perfectly on the Samsung Galaxy s9+, however there is a monthly licensing fee of $1.89. The BlackBerry keyboard works well, but sometimes you have to toggle or switch from the stock Samsung keyboard to access the BlackBerry version. It is still not as good as the original OS10 BlackBerry keyboard however, particularly of you switch languages often.
    11-05-18 10:31 AM
  8. psurani's Avatar
    Will it require HUB license even for Key2


    Posted via CB10
    11-05-18 10:32 AM
  9. crackhead007's Avatar
    Will it require HUB license even for Key2


    Posted via CB10
    No the license fee only applies to non BlackBerry devices.
    11-05-18 10:33 AM
  10. psurani's Avatar
    The camera quality on Key2, I understand that it is not at par with high end devices like S9 or Note 9, but is it lot better than Passport?

    Posted via CB10
    11-05-18 11:43 AM
  11. Zack Brown1420's Avatar
    Hi Friends,

    Am confused whether to buy Key2 or Note 8
    Coming from a passport, Key 2 seemed no brainer to me
    But spacebar issue, bad camera with Key 2 and amazing looks and camera of Note 8 seems to have made me thought to consider note 8

    till few days back, I was off strong opinion that the glass slabs are mere specs luring customers to fall in its trap. And lately I seem to be falling in the trap, only thing holding me back is that I simply hate typing on glass.

    Please advise with your wise thoughts.

    Posted via CB10
    Definitely Key2. No brainer for sure.
    11-05-18 12:55 PM
  12. JPD404's Avatar
    Being two very different options it would be a no brainer for me. KEY2 all the way. The physical keyboard no only allows me more pleasant long typing sessions, it also brings the experience of remote control to the next level. Productivity re defined by never having to worry about pop-up virtual keyboards sucking up real-estate that is actually needed. KEY2 is fast and accurate. BlackBerry Android suite is best in class. I haven't had any space-bar issues.

    Sent from my STV100-1 using CB Forums mobile app
    the_boon likes this.
    11-05-18 01:02 PM
  13. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    ^^^ THIS ^^^

    Most of the smartphone market these days cares primarily about display and camera (you would think battery would be up there but nope) but hardly anyone wants to enjoy typing on their phone and type accurately.
    I guess it doesn't matter if they just communicate with emojis or short sentences which are made non-disastrous (or disastrous in some cases) by autocorrect.
    Depends on the user. I am a writer by trade, and I do quite well on a glass slab. I was on OG PKB warrior too... I wore out the keys on several Curves LOL.

    But yes, folks who want to can get away with writing accurately and quickly on slab devices. I rely on swipe keyboards though.
    11-05-18 05:16 PM
  14. mralgi's Avatar
    The camera quality on Key2, I understand that it is not at par with high end devices like S9 or Note 9, but is it lot better than Passport?

    Posted via CB10
    Yes, it's a lot better than the Passport.
    11-05-18 05:17 PM
  15. i_plod_an_dr_void's Avatar
    Samsungs/Pixels in the drawer - broke, glassy deaths , BlackBerries in the drawer - served their time well with a few dings and scratches -they wore them like badges.
    11-05-18 05:54 PM
  16. Taigatrommel's Avatar
    Two months ago I actually switched from my Key2 to the newly released Note 9 for a single reason: The keyboard on the Key2 is simply too unreliable for my taste. Being German we type a lot of capital words and while typing fast the phone has *serious* problem tracking the pressed shift-key. I was on my second replacement device - everyone had the same issue. I checked back if anything has changed, but no, actually it got worse using the very latest beta of the keyboard app. Too bad BlackBerry Mobile for me has ruined the very reason to stay a loyal customer: A good and reliable PKP.

    With that reason eliminated, I looked for another phone. It doesn't matter whether we talk about the new Note 9 or the slightly older, but much cheaper, Note 8. Both phones have similar features and chances are very high that if you disliked the Note 8, the Note 9 won't change you mind anyways. So while I might be talking about the nine, most things can be adopted to the eight.

    Personally I like the Note 9 a lot. I really do. The screen is very impressive, though I still fear possible OLED burn after many months of use. It is a pleasure being able to read a bright screen even under direct sunlight - something the K1/K2 weren't exactly good at. The big screen of course is nice for videos and viewing pictures, for everything else I use my phone for, it doesn't really benefit me. Multitasking using splitscreen of course is a good option on the Note.

    The S-Pen is the reason why I got a Note instead of some other glas slab. It gives me some sort of physical input and since I wanted to learn to sketch and possible improve my art skills, it was a logical choice. So the Pen really is a nice addition, but for most I think it's going to end up as a gimmick, rather than a serious feature. There are people who are using the Pen multiple times per day and it is an essential feature for them. Others use it often when they get the new phone, but stop using it or only take it out in order to show it off to other people.

    In terms of battery - the Note 9 has a larger battery than the 8 - I can't complain. The Samsung gives me, for my use, a similar performance like my Key 2. A single charge usually gives me two days of use, sometimes three.

    The missing PKB is a real trade off. No doubt. But honestly: I rather have a working, fast glass slab virtual keyboard, than an unreliable PKB. I also tried the BlackBerry VKB on my Note and thought it was ok, yet, after trying a couple of different keyboard apps, I actually ended up using the standard Google Keyboard app you can get for free in the Playstore.
    I also bought a bluetooth keyboard (Microsoft Foldable Keyboard) in order to accompany the glass slab when typing longer texts. It is a decent solution, but of course typing on the go is not an option with this one and you have to carry it around. Since I usually have a backpack with me, that's not much of an issue but not as convenient as having a real keyboard everytime at your fingertips.

    Besides typing on glass is more inaccurate, with a PKB I simply know the very second I mistyped and correct it, because I can feel the keys. With glass that is not possible and I have to pay much more attention to the text. Speed is not an issue, in fact, if I hit the keys right, I think typing on glass is faster for me, especially using our Umlaute, since I can adjust the long-press delay time on the Google Keyboard, which helps the typing flow.


    The verdict - I like the Note 9 better than I wanted to, however I would consider switching back if BlackBerry Mobile could *finally* fix these keyboard problems. Hell I wouldn't have even bought the Sammy in the first place, if the PKB wouldn't drive me mad.
    I would give the Note a chance, keep in mind you could always sell it if you notice, after two or three weeks, the phone won't work for you.


    Oh last but not least the camera: A night and day difference, the Note 9 clearly blows the K2 photo quality out of the water. While the Note 8 is a bit worse the newer 9 in this respect, it should still be way better than what we see on the Key 2
    arif b santoso likes this.
    11-05-18 09:38 PM
  17. psurani's Avatar
    Two months ago I actually switched from my Key2 to the newly released Note 9 for a single reason: The keyboard on the Key2 is simply too unreliable for my taste. Being German we type a lot of capital words and while typing fast the phone has *serious* problem tracking the pressed shift-key. I was on my second replacement device - everyone had the same issue. I checked back if anything has changed, but no, actually it got worse using the very latest beta of the keyboard app. Too bad BlackBerry Mobile for me has ruined the very reason to stay a loyal customer: A good and reliable PKP.

    With that reason eliminated, I looked for another phone. It doesn't matter whether we talk about the new Note 9 or the slightly older, but much cheaper, Note 8. Both phones have similar features and chances are very high that if you disliked the Note 8, the Note 9 won't change you mind anyways. So while I might be talking about the nine, most things can be adopted to the eight.

    Personally I like the Note 9 a lot. I really do. The screen is very impressive, though I still fear possible OLED burn after many months of use. It is a pleasure being able to read a bright screen even under direct sunlight - something the K1/K2 weren't exactly good at. The big screen of course is nice for videos and viewing pictures, for everything else I use my phone for, it doesn't really benefit me. Multitasking using splitscreen of course is a good option on the Note.

    The S-Pen is the reason why I got a Note instead of some other glas slab. It gives me some sort of physical input and since I wanted to learn to sketch and possible improve my art skills, it was a logical choice. So the Pen really is a nice addition, but for most I think it's going to end up as a gimmick, rather than a serious feature. There are people who are using the Pen multiple times per day and it is an essential feature for them. Others use it often when they get the new phone, but stop using it or only take it out in order to show it off to other people.

    In terms of battery - the Note 9 has a larger battery than the 8 - I can't complain. The Samsung gives me, for my use, a similar performance like my Key 2. A single charge usually gives me two days of use, sometimes three.

    The missing PKB is a real trade off. No doubt. But honestly: I rather have a working, fast glass slab virtual keyboard, than an unreliable PKB. I also tried the BlackBerry VKB on my Note and thought it was ok, yet, after trying a couple of different keyboard apps, I actually ended up using the standard Google Keyboard app you can get for free in the Playstore.
    I also bought a bluetooth keyboard (Microsoft Foldable Keyboard) in order to accompany the glass slab when typing longer texts. It is a decent solution, but of course typing on the go is not an option with this one and you have to carry it around. Since I usually have a backpack with me, that's not much of an issue but not as convenient as having a real keyboard everytime at your fingertips.

    Besides typing on glass is more inaccurate, with a PKB I simply know the very second I mistyped and correct it, because I can feel the keys. With glass that is not possible and I have to pay much more attention to the text. Speed is not an issue, in fact, if I hit the keys right, I think typing on glass is faster for me, especially using our Umlaute, since I can adjust the long-press delay time on the Google Keyboard, which helps the typing flow.


    The verdict - I like the Note 9 better than I wanted to, however I would consider switching back if BlackBerry Mobile could *finally* fix these keyboard problems. Hell I wouldn't have even bought the Sammy in the first place, if the PKB wouldn't drive me mad.
    I would give the Note a chance, keep in mind you could always sell it if you notice, after two or three weeks, the phone won't work for you.


    Oh last but not least the camera: A night and day difference, the Note 9 clearly blows the K2 photo quality out of the water. While the Note 8 is a bit worse the newer 9 in this respect, it should still be way better than what we see on the Key 2
    Thanks for your valuable inputs. Regarding key2 keyboard, only problem am aware is about the spacebar, other than that it's okay but unfortunately not in your case.
    The sylus pen in note 8 is not very useful for me.
    Camera yes, and that's disappointing for me.
    Note 8 battery is not good, so it's a deal breaker for me.

    Though this is crackberry forum and I already expected many responses to be in favour of key2, but I appreciate people giving very logical reasoning for both the devices.

    Posted via CB10
    arif b santoso and the_boon like this.
    11-06-18 12:16 AM
  18. the_boon's Avatar
    With glass that is not possible and I have to pay much more attention to the text
    And THAT is why typing on glass sucks, it takes so much more concentration (probably why you see people typing on their slabs while walking and they end up hitting a light post or something)

    I never had a Shift key issue with my KEY2 or LE, but I'd recommend you try the latter and see if it works better for you.

    Oh and there's no way you wrote that entire post on the Note 9.

    It's "click-click-click" over "tap-tap-tap" ANY day for me
    Taigatrommel likes this.
    11-06-18 04:26 AM
  19. Taigatrommel's Avatar
    And THAT is why typing on glass sucks, it takes so much more concentration (probably why you see people typing on their slabs while walking and they end up hitting a light post or something)

    I never had a Shift key issue with my KEY2 or LE, but I'd recommend you try the latter and see if it works better for you.

    Oh and there's no way you wrote that entire post on the Note 9.

    It's "click-click-click" over "tap-tap-tap" ANY day for me
    Actually you are right, lol. I didn't type this on my Note 9 and neither I would, without the mentioned bluetooth keyboard anyways. It was typed on the Key 2 which I haven't sold yet. One of my personal benefits of using a good PKB is the fact it doesn't keep me away from typing, it encourages me, the glass slab is the opposite - I just want to get the text done as quickly as possible, because it is not a good typing experience.

    I posted my issues in a couple of keyboard related threads already, but they never really got any attention. My guess is: English speakers (or rather typers) won't see this specific issue too much, simply due to the matter of fact upper case is used much less than in German. Here we use it a lot. For sh*ts and giggles you could try open the BBRY Notepad, open a new note and just type away at fast pace, just force yourself to use upper case on the first letter of every single word. I'd be curious if you'd encounter any sort of issues. In my case, with all three K2's I had, regardless of being factory fresh (no apps installed) or setup the way I need them to be, all had *exactly* the same problems. It seems to differ a bit from app to app to be honest, the mentioned BBRY Notes is kind of a worst case scenario it seems.
    I am not new to BlackBerry and especially not PKB phones (being a long time Nokia "Communicator" user). I had no issues with the Keyone, the Priv, three of the BB10 models (dreaded double-typing Q10 aside) and even my first Berry, the Bold 9900.

    Back in June I had a support ticket open with BlackBerry Mobile and we came to the conclusion, the problems I am experiencing are indeed software related. The support staff member told me, they are working on a solution in future updates. The ticket got closed almost exactly four months(!) ago, last week I decided to check back and - nothing. Even with the latest beta apps, nothing has changed, in fact it seems to have gotten worse. The keyboards might have changed in the last few years, but my typing style has not. The Key 2 just feels as it couldn't keep up with me, it just feels "wrong". Out of all the BlackBerry phones I have owned, and I owned quite a bit, the Key 2 is (double-typing aside) the oddest actual typing experience I have seen yet. Which is a shame because the keys are nice and big, the phone is comfortable to hold and there is no obvious reason for it being disappointing.
    Too bad the K2 LE is nowhere on display, I'd really like to handle it myself and compare it, but even the K2 on display is virtually impossible to find. I don't want to buy it just for trying it out and returning it.

    Thanks for your valuable inputs. Regarding key2 keyboard, only problem am aware is about the spacebar, other than that it's okay but unfortunately not in your case.
    The sylus pen in note 8 is not very useful for me.
    Camera yes, and that's disappointing for me.
    Note 8 battery is not good, so it's a deal breaker for me.
    You're welcome. The S-Pen is something which drives quite some people to the Note because on Youtube you see a lot of people doing awesome stuff with it - but if it doesn't suite your kind of workflow, it just becomes a gimmick and I can relate to anybody saying "The S-Pen doesn't do it for me.".
    Battery on the Note 8 has been said to be rather disappointing indeed, which was one of the reasons why I decided to spend more money and get the Note 9 instead. So far I can say it easily keeps up with the K2 in terms of battery performance. I can't say it is much better, but it certainly ain't worse.
    11-06-18 06:54 AM
  20. mountainman's Avatar
    I have the Note 8. I consume a lot of YouTube. It's the perfect device for that.

    If TCL comes out with a KeyThree with OLED screen I would consider it. Cause typing on glass basically stinks as you all know. I was hoping the Key2 was that device, but it has the same panel as the KeyOne. Spoiled by deep blacks on OLED.
    11-06-18 09:47 AM
  21. bb10adopter111's Avatar
    Oh and there's no way you wrote that entire post on the Note 9.
    Just to jump in here. I regularly write very long emails and documents on my Z10's BlackBerry VKB. I've used all manner of BlackBerry devices going back to 2003 and I was skeptical when the Z10 was released that I could write as well on a VKB as on a PKB. But that was based on my horrible experience using Apple's VKB. My experience with BlackBerry's VKB has been very different. Within a couple of months my typing speed on my phone had improved from about 55 words per minute on my BlackBerry Bold phones to over 65 on my BlackBerry Z10 (with Flick-to-Type) . In particular, text entry was faster for me on the VKB. However, cursor control and text editing on the PKB was far superior. For me, both of these matter a lot.

    Now that I switch between my Z10 and my KEYone I find the KEYone offers the best of both worlds, a very fast VKB for writing and an excellent PKB with capacitive touch for cursor control and text editing. I switch between the two of them constantly.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    11-06-18 01:59 PM
  22. the_boon's Avatar
    I find the KEYone offers the best of both worlds, a very fast VKB for writing and an excellent PKB with capacitive touch for cursor control and text editing. I switch between the two of them constantly.
    Lol aside from avoiding to wake up the sleeping wife, there's no way I'd start using the VKB on my KEY2/LE.
    Those keys are the reason I bought the damn thing.
    11-06-18 04:49 PM
  23. bb10adopter111's Avatar
    Lol aside from avoiding to wake up the sleeping wife, there's no way I'd start using the VKB on my KEY2/LE.
    Those keys are the reason I bought the damn thing.
    I felt the same way, but then I realized that I like my hand position better with the VKB in the middle of the screen for long typing sessions. The phone just balances better in my hand. I find my KEYone to be too top-heavy when trying to use the PKB for long sessions.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    11-06-18 10:45 PM
  24. Bbnivende's Avatar
    I felt the same way, but then I realized that I like my hand position better with the VKB in the middle of the screen for long typing sessions. The phone just balances better in my hand. I find my KEYone to be too top-heavy when trying to use the PKB for long sessions.

    Posted with my trusty Z10
    They say the Key2 LE is not heavy.
    11-06-18 11:22 PM
  25. nighguy's Avatar
    The camera quality on Key2, I understand that it is not at par with high end devices like S9 or Note 9, but is it lot better than Passport?

    Posted via CB10
    Yes! I just got my Key2 a few weeks ago and have been playing with the camera. The camera is better than the Passport, PRIV, and KeyOne. The portrait mode is amazing. With good lighting the regular pictures are excellent. I'm still experimenting with low light settings. None of the previous BlackBerry cameras were all that great in low light, lots of noise
    11-07-18 12:24 AM
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